Rockbridge planning commission forwards zoning changes on backyard chickens, utilities and solar to supervisors

The Rockbridge County Planning Commission on June 10 unanimously recommended a set of zoning text amendments and scheduled public hearings to align local rules with state law and to clarify longstanding ambiguities in the county code.

Staff presented a draft change to section 30‑29 aimed at limiting the existing exemption for "gardening and the keeping of up to 6 female chickens" to residential zoning districts only, rather than the broader phrase "any district allowing residential uses," which staff said inadvertently included agricultural zoning. "Gardening and the keeping of up to 6 female chickens shall be exempt from zoning requirements in any residential zoning district," staff read from the proposed text, and the draft retains the existing limits — roosters are not allowed, a minimum acreage of 1 acre applies, structures and pens must sit 20 feet from any side or rear property line, and chickens must be contained within a pen at all times (Neil, staff).

Commissioners and staff agreed to strike language that made the exemption contingent on the activity "not be[ing] objectionable" for odor, dust, noise, pollution, soil erosion, sedimentation or drainage. That phrase, several members said, invited inconsistent interpretation. After closing the public hearing with no public speakers, the commission voted to forward the amendment to the Board of Supervisors; the motion passed unanimously.

The commission also voted unanimously to recommend an amendment to sections 30‑40(c) and 30‑41(c) to permit "public utility service, major" as a use by special exception in the general residential (R‑1) and residential mixed (R‑2) districts. Staff explained the change clarifies uses currently classified as "minor" versus "major" utilities and establishes the special‑exception review process for larger utility facilities in those districts.

On solar regulation, staff briefed the commission on House Bill 711, signed by the governor and effective July 1, 2026, which standardizes certain rules for solar facilities across the Commonwealth and narrows some local discretion. Staff said the county must update its solar ordinance (section 7‑17) to match the Code of Virginia’s new provisions on land‑disturbance requirements, definitions tied to a 1‑megawatt threshold, buffer and vegetative screening measurements, and setback ranges. Chris (staff) summarized the practical effect: "In my opinion, it certainly took some of the flexibility we currently have away," pointing to the bill’s prescriptive buffer widths and other standards that may limit local reductions in required screening. The commission voted to send the revised solar ordinance language to public hearing at its July 8 meeting.

Commissioners spent the remainder of the meeting setting priorities for additional zoning text amendments driven by new state laws — including accessory dwelling units, wireless facility changes, manufactured‑home provisions and electronic message centers (EMCs). Several members urged moving EMC language higher on the list because current county code appears out of compliance with recent court and federal precedent.

Finally, the commission agreed to send language related to House Bill 292 (adjusting Ag/Forestal Advisory Committee membership language) to the next public hearing. All recorded motions during the June 10 meeting passed unanimously.

What happens next: the proposed amendments will appear on upcoming public‑hearing agendas (the solar ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing July 8, 2026) and, where appropriate, the Planning Commission will forward formal recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for final action.